Sensory Garden At Senior Day Center Robbed, Vandalized In UTC Area

SARASOTA, FL — The sensory garden at Town Square University Parkway, a 1950s-themed adult day center specializing in dementia and senior care, was robbed and vandalized Tuesday morning.

Plants were stolen from the “beloved member-maintained garden” around 5 a.m., according to a news release from Town Square.

Staff at the Sarasota facility are asking the community to help rebuild and replenish the garden by donating non-toxic, dementia-friendly plants.

Plants can be dropped off at Town Square, 8450 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The facility can’t accept foxglove, oleander, azalea, philodendron, poinsettia, sago palm or any plant known to be poisonous if ingested.

Town Square hopes “to have the garden beautifully rebuilt” by its Nov. 8 Free Health Expo that will be open to the community, according to a social media post.

The community stepped up with donations within 24 hours of the robbery, Town Square said, calling the response from families, businesses and landscaping companies “nothing short of incredible.”

“This morning we saw the worst in humanity and this afternoon we saw the best in our community,” co-owner John McDermott said, according to the social media post.

The facility’s garden center is a meaningful part of the daily lives of Town Square’s members, many living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

“The garden provides more than beauty — it offers purpose, sensory engagement and emotional healing,” the news release said.

Members maintain the garden by planting, watering and harvesting herbs and vegetables that are used in farm-to-table activities at the facility. These activities help them reconnect with familiar routines and stimulate memories, the company said.

“These gardens represent more than just plants — they represent progress, connection, and
peace for individuals who may otherwise feel lost in their diagnosis,” Catherine
McDermott, co-owner, said. “We use gardening as therapy — it brings smiles, movement, and purpose to our members’ days.”

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